Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Lampson Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lakeport, California 95453
Friday, August 20, 1999 15:10 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane's engine lost power during takeoff climb out on a post maintenance check flight, which was performed following repair of damage caused by a gear-up landing. Among other repairs, the engine had been removed, inspected, and reinstalled. The pilot reported that soon after takeoff, while passing the departure end of the runway, the engine started losing power and running rough. He started a turn, intending to land downwind on the departure runway using the partial engine power available. During the turn the engine ceased producing power completely. Because of low airspeed and altitude, the pilot was unable to glide the aircraft to the runway and crashed in a vineyard. An FAA inspector examined the engine and reported there was a loose B-nut on a fuel injection system hose where the hose attached to the fuel divider on top of the engine. When the electric fuel pump was turned on fuel sprayed from the loose B-nut. The inspector reported that the B-nut required about one turn in the tightening direction to reach the snug position. No other discrepancies were noted. The engine was installed on a test stand and run. With the B-nut tight, the engine was started and ran smoothly. The engine was accelerated to full power and smoothly produced about 2,700 rpm. After about 5 minutes at full throttle, the B-nut was loosened. After 1/8 of a turn fuel came out of the hose end. After 1/4 turn the engine began to run rough and between 1/4 and 1/2 turn the engine abruptly stopped.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of engine shop maintenance personnel to tighten the fuel line fitting during assembly of the engine, and failure of the installing maintenance personnel to detect and tighten the loose fitting during the engine installation and annual inspection.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/20/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1510 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | LAKEPORT |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 95453 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | LAMPSON FIELD |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 1O2 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 240 |
| Airport Elevation | 1378 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1448 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 284 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | UKI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 614 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 17 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 30 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 34 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1716 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 20 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1530 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 14 2001 1:57PM |
| User who most recently changed record | MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6022Q |
| NTSB Number | LAX99LA276 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Mooney |
| Aircraft Model | M20E |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | M20E |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 870 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2575 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 20 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 1 |
| Airframe Hours | 8743 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CORWIN W. NICHOLS |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 762 ALLEN CT. |
| Aircraft Owner City | PALO ALTO |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 94303 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | LAKE AERO STYLING & REPAIR |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 4725 HIGHLAND SPRINGS RD. |
| Operator City | LAKEPORT |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 95453 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 1O2 |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1510 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 14 2001 10:25AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 28 |
| Runway Length | 3600 |
| Runway Width | 60 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |